The story behind 1150 began in 1998, when a young group of friends came together to build a new hotel to serve the ripening tourist market in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Conventional wisdom suggested they build a 200-room commercial resort, but the team bucked the trend and instead created the 29-room boutique hotel surrounded by jungle and a powdery white-sand beach, with individual thatch-roofed rooms, private pools and VIP service. That hotel, Ikal del Mar, has since been sold, but it remains a testament to the group's passion and good taste.

That same group of friends took a hiking trip to Argentina's Aconcagua Mountain, near where the winery stands today, and was amazed by the region's natural beauty and fantastic wines. That trip led to the creation of the 1150 vineyard and has also inspired the development of the Ikal Mendoza luxury hotel, which will sit next to the grape fields and treat guests to the finest accommodations, food and – of course – wines.

Other holdings for the group include the popular Esencia Estate, an upscale hotel occupying the former estate of an Italian duchess in Mexico's Riviera Maya. This hotel was one of the first places in the world to serve the 1150 wines and the warm reception there led the winery to seek distribution in more locations.